City Breaks Archives - Page 2 of 4 -

Aberdeen, the granite city that learned to sparkle

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 17, 2026

ong-exposure night photo of Aberdeen’s Marischal College, its granite façade lit in purple and warm white, with bright bus light trails streaking across the street under a deep blue sky

Aberdeen has the kind of name that sounds faintly stern, like a headmaster who still believes in proper posture. It sits up in the northeast, …

Panoramic rooftop view over Oxford, with the domed Radcliffe Camera on the left and the pale stone spires and towers of nearby colleges and chapels stretching across the city under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds

Oxford, the city where even the pubs have academic credentials

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 16, 2026

There are places with history, and then there is Oxford, where the buildings look as if they have been standing in judgement since the Middle …

Night view of Newcastle Quayside with the illuminated Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge, and High Level Bridge reflecting on the River Tyne

City Breaks Weekend Getaways

Newcastle, the curious case of Britain’s friendliest show-off

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 10, 2026

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city that never quite does what you expect. One moment you’re standing by Roman ruins, the next you’re peering up …

anoramic view of Liverpool’s waterfront showing the Royal Liver Building and the other “Three Graces” beside the River Mersey, with the Museum of Liverpool and modern dockside buildings under a blue evening sky.

City Breaks Coastal City Breaks

Liverpool, The Beatles and beyond

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026February 9, 2026

Some cities welcome you the way a polite aunt does. A tidy high street, a respectable museum, a park with ducks that look faintly disappointed …

Aerial view of central Birmingham showing the modern Selfridges building with its curved silver façade covered in circular discs beside the historic St Martin’s Church, surrounded by shoppers and city streets

City Breaks Historic Cities

Birmingham, the city that built everything and brags about nothing

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 19, 2025

Birmingham doesn’t always shout about itself. That’s one big reason why I like it so much. While London blares and Manchester struts, Brum gets on …

A panoramic view of Cardiff Bay with a sailboat in the foreground, the waterfront lined with modern buildings, the red-brick Pierhead Building, the Wales Millennium Centre, and a large Ferris wheel, with the city skyline and stadium visible in the background under a clear blue sky

City Breaks Historic Cities

Cardiff for the curious, a capital with character

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 18, 2025

There are capital cities that feel like they are performing for you and there are others that simply invite you in for a chat and …

Aerial view of Stirling Castle in Scotland, perched dramatically on a rocky hilltop with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The fortress showcases its mix of medieval stone walls and Renaissance-style buildings, with one section lit in a warm golden hue that contrasts with the grey stone. Rolling fields stretch into the distance, framed by distant mountains under a cloudy sky

City Breaks Historic Cities

Stirling and the legacies of Wallace and Bruce

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 17, 2025

Few places in Scotland carry the weight of history as heavily as Stirling. Once the key to controlling the north, it was the stage for …

View of Kingston upon Thames from the riverside, with the River Thames in the foreground reflecting trees and boats moored along the bank. The historic All Saints Church with its tall clock tower rises above the town, framed by leafy greenery and riverside buildings under a soft, cloudy sky

City Breaks Historic Cities

Six London “towns” that make you forget you are in the capital

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 12, 2025

Greater London is more than the bustle of Oxford Street or the queues for the London Eye. It is also home to pockets of green, …

View of Pulteney Bridge in Bath, England, spanning the River Avon with its elegant Georgian architecture. The bridge is lined with historic stone buildings, and the surrounding cityscape features honey-coloured terraces, a church spire, and rolling hills in the background under a soft, partly cloudy sky

City Breaks Historic Cities

Bath and the art of soaking in history

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 9, 2025

There are towns where you feel the centuries in the cobblestones, and then there is Bath, where history practically runs a hot tap and invites …

View of Lincoln Cathedral with historic half-timbered houses and red-brick buildings on Steep Hill, Lincoln, England

City Breaks Historic Cities

Lincoln, a cathedral, a castle and a rather persistent imp

by kenroe61@gmail.comUpdated on April 2, 2026September 5, 2025

There are some places where history whispers. In Lincoln, it bellows from every cobbled street, turreted wall and medieval nook. Perched on a steep hill …